As NHL season begins, eyes are on Leafs, Knights
John Tavares spent the first nine seasons of his National Hockey League career in relative anonymity.
The quiet, keeps-to-himself star centre was the face of the New York Islanders — a team with rich history, but not much to show for the last three decades.
A pending unrestricted free agent this past summer, it would have been easy for Tavares to stay with the franchise that drafted him, the only one he’d ever known.
He instead chose to shake the hockey world and signalled that no matter what happens this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be front and centre.
A team loved by its fans and almost equally loathed by detractors, the Leafs signed Tavares to a massive seven-year, US$77-million contract on July 1, plucking one of the most prized talents to hit the open market in years.
“A big change in my life and my career, but I’m excited,” the Oakville native said.
“It’s a great time for myself and I think for this group, and we know there’s a lot of excitement around the team. We know where we want to get to ... just enjoy the ride.”
Observers saw the addition of Tavares to a young roster already led by the skilled Auston Matthews as an indication Toronto — the betting favourite in Las Vegas to lift its first Stanley Cup since 1967 — is set to reach heights that seemed next to impossible just three seasons ago during the painful throes of a full rebuild.
“The growth from within is most important,” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said. “But getting Johnny to come ... the players recruit the players. Good players aren’t coming to be by themselves. They’re coming because they think they have a chance to win.
“We appreciate the amount of confidence from Johnny that he wanted to come.”
Here’s a look at some other storylines heading into the 201819 NHL season:
A Capital repeat?
Alex Ovechkin was viewed as a great player unable to win the big game until Washington beat the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to win the franchise’s first Cup. The question is: Can the Capitals to do it again? Or will Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins retake their crown atop the Metropolitan Division? Head coach Barry Trotz moved on from Washington to the Islanders, replaced by former assistant Todd Reirden.
Marquee name changes
While the Leafs adding Tavares in free agency was the summer’s biggest move, he was far from the only marquee name to change teams. Ottawa finally ended the Erik Karlsson saga, dealing the captain and superstar defenceman to San Jose. Montreal, meanwhile, ended its own trade drama by sending captain Max Pacioretty to Vegas.
Sin City encore
The Golden Knights stunned the hockey world in their first season, finishing with a remarkable 109 points for the fifth-best record in the NHL. The Knights fell short in the final, but doubled down this off-season by signing Paul Stastny in free agency and then trading for Pacioretty. Vegas won’t surprise anyone this year, but with veteran goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and a driven supporting cast, the Knights will be out to show they weren’t a one-hit wonder.